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Sail Life - Carbon fiber forged part in 3D printed mold
April 28, 2024 · 20 min · 48K views · British Virgin Islands
What this video covers
Mads, owner of the 1987 Trident Warrior Athena, uses 3D-printed PLA molds to create forged carbon fiber parts.0:14 The process involves modeling a component in Fusion 360, printing a compression mold, applying PVA mold release, and packing the cavity with chopped carbon fiber and epoxy.2:35 To address the difficulty of removing parts from rigid 3D-printed molds, he incorporates ejector pin holes and chamfered edges for prying.5:25 He notes that while PLA is not ideal for composite molds due to surface finish and release challenges, it serves as a functional, low-cost material for prototyping.4:32 After successfully molding a small outboard kill-cord clip, he confirms the technique is viable for creating custom brackets and hardware for a future dinghy build.15:09 The experiment demonstrates that 3D-printed molds allow for the production of complex, organic-shaped composite parts without expensive tooling.
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